Agenda and draft minutes

In the absence of the Chair of the meeting, nominations were sought for the Chair Pro-Tem.

Councillor David Jackson was nominated and seconded as Chair Pro Tem of the Adult Social Care and Services scrutiny Panel.

AGREED that the Councillor Jackson be appointed as Chair Pro Tem of the Adult Social Care and Services Scrutiny Panel.

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest received at this point in the meeting.

The minutes of the Adult Social Care and Services scrutiny panel meeting held on 29 March 2023 and 13 July 2023 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

Erik Scollay, Director of Adult Social Care and Health Integration will be in attendance to provide an overview of the CQC framework.

The Director of People, Erik Scollay was in attendance to provide an overview of the CQC approach to inspecting local authorities.

The Director advised the panel that:

·         The Care Quality Commission (CQC) are responsible for inspecting and regulating health and social care services in England, including local authorities.

·         The CQC carries out inspections to ensure that local authorities are delivering high-quality care and support services to their communities.

·         These inspections help to identify areas for improvement and provide assurance to the public that the local authorities are meeting the required standards.

The key components to the CQC inspection are as follows:

•       Pre-inspection: The CQC gathers information and intelligence about the local authority's performance, policies, and procedures.

•       This includes reviewing data, conducting interviews with staff and service users, and assessing documentation.

•       On-site inspection: CQC inspectors visit the local authority to assess the delivery of care and support services.

•       Inspectors observe practice, speak to staff and service users, and review records to assess compliance with standards. It was expected that the CQC will want to talk to independent providers , chosen by a representative of providers. Storyboards will be developed as part of the collaboration

•       Evaluation and Reporting: Following the inspection, the CQC produces a report detailing their findings and ratings.

•       The report includes strengths, areas for improvement, and ratings based on the quality of care and support provided.

The CQC will be inspecting Part 1 of the Care Act Duties. The Council has never been inspected in this way. Due to unforeseen circumstances, there had been a decision to delay the start of the formal assessments of local authorities. The CQC were currently providing feedback to the 5 pilot local authorities and it was anticipated that full assessment would commence by the end of 2023. The CQC remains committed to conducting thorough inspections and maintaining the high standards of care and support provided by local authorities. The revised timeline will be communicated to the local authorities and the CQC will continue to provide support and guidance during this transitional period.

The Director provided the Panel with Middlesbrough’s current position:

·         CQC draft framework absorbed and understood (Oct/Nov 22)

·         High level baseline completed against the CQC draft framework (Oct / Nov 22)

This consisted of RAG rating each evidence requirement line by line

·         Delivery tools and monitoring tools developed (Nov 22)

·         Peer review self-assessment submitted with supporting evidence (Dec 22)

Peer review undertaken by Carol Tozer (ex DAS)

·         Peer review completed and feedback received (Jan 23)

·         Detailed baseline sessions commenced (Feb 23)

This is based on the released and most updated version of the framework

·         All relevant outputs from the baseline exercises and peer review feedback have been fed into an overarching service improvement action plan owned by the delivery board (Apr 23 – May 23)

This action plan is supported by a more detailed delivery plan which is how we ensure actions are delivered on time

The action plan and delivery plans are broken down into  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23/10

The Democratic services officer will provide a brief presentation on what makes effective scrutiny.

The Democratic Services Officer provided a short presentation from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny, which has been provided to councillors during their induction.

The presentation covered information relating to:

-        What is the work programme for? and

-        What makes a good scrutiny topic.

AGREED- That the presentation be noted.

The Panel will be asked to consider the work programme report and determine which topics the Adult social care and services scrutiny panel will investigate during 2023/24.

The Adult Social Care and Services Scrutiny Panel was asked to consider its work programme for the 2023/24 municipal year.

The Democratic Services Officer presented the submitted report and the following points were referenced:

·        At the start of every municipal year, scrutiny panels discussed the topics that they would like to review during the coming year.

·        Work programmes were useful as they provided some structure to a scrutiny panel’s activity and allowed for the effective planning and preparation of work.

·        Referenced in the report was a list of topics that were anticipated to be of particular interest to the scrutiny panel. Those topics were detailed in the first table of the submitted report and included:

o   Impending CQC inspection

o   Dementia- 10 year plan.

o   Hospital discharge and rehabilitation

o   Support for vulnerable adults

·        Suggestions had also been received from the Councillors including for example:

o   Care homes and DDA compliance

o   Housing providers and DDA compliance

o   Assistance for keeping over 60’s fit to avoid doctors and hospitalisation.

o   Middlesbrough Poverty Strategy

o   Staying put agency – supporting people to stay in their own homes.

o   Social housing provision- The availability of bungalows and ground floor apartments.

·        When considering its work programme, the scrutiny panel was asked to ensure that topics agreed for inclusion met the criteria detailed at paragraph 13 of the report.

·        It was recommended that the scrutiny panel used the aid, attached at Appendix 1 of the submitted report, to prioritise issues where scrutiny could make an impact, add value or contribute to policy development.

·        The scrutiny panel was asked to identify two topics it would like to include in its work programme. Once agreed, those topics would be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Board, on 20 September 2023, for consideration and approval.

A discussion ensued and Members referenced the following areas of interest and concern:

·        With the winter approaching, they wanted to consider hospital discharges to ensure these were done effectively.

·        DDA compliance in care homes provided discussion within the panel as there were some concerns that some care homes were not able to adapt to the needs of the individual.

·        Whilst a full topic has been carried out last municipal year, the panel raised concern in relation to the recruitment and retention of social workers.

The Director of Adult Social Care was not able to be in attendance for the discussion, however suggestions for the work programme would be circulated to him after the meeting and further discussion would take place.

Following discussion, the scrutiny panel was in agreement that the topics of Care homes and DDA compliance, Staying Put Agency (adaptations and ensuring older people stay in their own home for longer) and Hospital discharge .

In addition to those prioritised topics, a Member commented on the importance keeping abreast of developments in the CQC inspection and quarterly improvement plans. Members also asked for an update on the Recruitment and retention of social workers, physical activity for the over 60s and Tees  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23/12

The Chair will provide a verbal update on the issues discussed at the last Overview and Scrutiny Board on 26 July 2023.

Item deferred.

No items.